Thanks to Lauren and all who shared the adventures. Helluva ride: (more…)
bus
Ed. Note: Last week we learned that “Regular weekday Metrobus service to return February 7”.
From WMATA:
“Beginning today, Metro is offering up to a $2,500 pay incentive as part of a new campaign to hire more bus drivers. Metro, like transit agencies and other industries nationwide, is facing a staffing shortage due to the pandemic and is looking to hire nearly 70 bus drivers needed to meet the current bus service schedule. Additional drivers will also be necessary to fill vacancies month-to-month to account for attrition and retirement. (more…)
If you missed our look back on commemorative smartrip cards, you can see them here.
From WMATA:
“Metro today announced that Metrobus will return to regular weekday service on Monday, February 7. Metrobus has been operating on a modified Saturday schedule, offering approximately 75 percent of normal weekday service, since January 10 due to covid-related staffing shortages.
While Metro is still experiencing above-average absenteeism, case rates are declining and employees are returning to work following their quarantine requirements.”
and
“Faster, better faregates are making it easier for customers to tap, pay and ride Metro with installation now reaching nearly 50 percent of all stations, one-third of which are complete. This is part of Metro’s fare modernization program to improve the rail system’s faregates and fareboxes on Metrobus, along with other fare technology upgrades, including mobile pay on Apple iOS and Android.
In conjunction with the rollout of the new faregates, and bus fareboxes in late 2022, Metro announced last April that older SmarTrip® cards will be phased out. (more…)
photo by Master of All Metal
From WMATA:
“The public comment period for Metro’s Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget is officially open, and Metro’s Board of Directors wants the public’s input. Metro is encouraging the public to share feedback before the comment period ends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15.
The FY23 budget focuses on providing safe, reliable and affordable transit service to the region. The budget takes into account the planned launch of Metrorail service to six new Silver Line stations, expanding Metro access to Dulles Airport and beyond, and the opening of Potomac Yard Station on the Yellow and Blue lines.
The budget proposals also include a number of service improvements on Metrobus and Metrorail, fare changes to provide better value to riders, and a $2.3 billion capital budget to continue aggressive construction and rehabilitation projects that are foundational for safe and reliable service.
A summary of key proposals is below, with full information about the proposals and ways to provide feedback available at wmata.com/budget.
Metrorail Service Proposals
photo by rebecca
From WMATA:
“Metro’s Pandemic Taskforce is taking swift actions to protect the health and safety of its customers and employees against the recent surge in COVID-19 variants. Due to growing absenteeism rates across service areas related to COVID illness and exposures, Metro is reducing service schedules and implementing new workforce actions effective Monday, January 10.
“Scaling back service will ensure customers who rely on Metrobus, Metrorail and MetroAccess for transportation have a more reliable schedule,” said CEO/GM Paul Wiedefeld. “Metro employees live in some of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic and are exposed to the surge in the region and throughout the nation. It’s important that the taskforce take steps to make Metro operationally sound to meet the needs of our customers.”
Metro service levels will operate as follows: (more…)
photo by Nicky Sundt
From WMATA:
“Metrobus is temporarily suspending service immediately due to rapidly deteriorating weather and hazardous road conditions throughout the region. All buses currently in operation with customers will operate to the end of the line to complete their routes if safe to do so. All other buses will hold at stops until roads are passable and safe to resume service. (more…)
photo by Bradley Joines
From a press release:
“DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) is re-introducing his bill that would put a recurring $100 balance to DC resident’s SmarTrip card every month and make a $10 million annual investment in improving bus service and infrastructure in the District.
Metro For DC would create a way for all DC residents to register a SmarTrip card and have it refresh to a $100 balance at the beginning of each month, similar to some employer-paid benefit programs. The balance would never exceed $100, so the District only pays for what a resident uses while riding Metrorail or Metrobus. (more…)
Photo by Pablo Raw
From DDOT:
“Today, by order of the DC Council, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that the fares on the DC Circulator will be reinstated effective October 1, 2021.
On March 2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Muriel Bowser announced all DC Circulator fares were suspended through the public health emergency that ended on July 25. After positive feedback from District residents, the Mayor announced her extension of fare suspension on DC Circulator through September 30.
The Mayor’s FY 2022 budget proposal set aside $6.5 million in funding for free DC Circulator service. After deliberation, the Council rejected the zero-fare policy funding, requiring DDOT to reinstate the one-dollar fare on October 1, the beginning of FY 2021. (more…)
From WMATA:
“Metro is making changes that will make riding easier and more convenient as the region resumes school, leisure activities, and returns to workplaces. Beginning September 5, Metro will add more buses and trains, offer lower prices, and extend Metrorail’s operating hours on weekends.
The changes, approved by Metro’s Board of Directors in June, followed extensive public input about how riders plan to travel. The service and pricing improvements are designed to make Metro a more affordable, attractive way to go and to meet customer needs for more service at all times of the day, not just during rush hour.
“This is a time of change for Metro and our customers, and it’s an opportunity to make our service work better for all riders whether they take Metro to work, the grocery store, visit family or friends or just get around town,” said Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg. “We are adding more rail and bus service, more hours, and working with businesses and the community to ensure the service will be there when riders need it.”
Among the service improvements, Metro will add more buses on the busiest lines to better serve customers throughout the day, reduce average wait times for buses during the day, restore more service that had been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and provide free bus transfers between rail and discounted passes.
On Metrorail, more trains will run during off-peak hours with average wait times ranging between 2-7 minutes any time of day. Trains will also run longer, closing later overnight on weekends, and opening earlier on Sundays.
“As the region goes back to work and school, we will be ready with service that is convenient any time of the day and offers the flexibility riders need,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. “We are also making Metro the best way to go on weekends, with less wait times for trains and just $2 for a one-way trip anywhere on the rail system.”
The service improvements will bring overall bus and rail service to near pre-pandemic levels, providing 97 percent of pre-Covid service levels on Metrobus and 91 percent on Metrorail. On some bus routes, and off-peak on rail, service will be even better than it had been before the pandemic.
Metro will also offer up to a 50 percent discount on selected unlimited pass products between September 16 and October 15.
The following discounts and service changes will be effective beginning Sunday, September 5: (more…)
Photo by C Buoscio
From DDOT:
“This July, the Bowser Administration is celebrating 16 years of DC Circulator connecting DC residents and visitors to many of the District’s main attractions and liveliest corridors of business, culture, and entertainment. Beginning Monday, July 12, DC Circulator riders will have an opportunity to share their experience riding the system through the annual DC Circulator survey, which helps the District improve and deliver great service.
“The best gift riders can give to DC Circulator for its 16th birthday is feedback on their ridership experience,” said DDOT Acting Director Everett Lott. “Customer feedback is critical to DDOT’s work to plan, improve, and expand the DC Circulator system, so the more feedback we receive the better.”
In addition to the annual survey, every three years the DC Circulator relies on rider feedback to update the Transit Development Plan, which guides future growth of the system. In the 2020 update, DDOT used stakeholder feedback to determine the best route to return service to Ward 7, proposed improvements to the system operations and performance District-wide, as well as an extension of the Dupont Circle-Rosslyn (RS-DP) route to U Street NW. (more…)